Commerce Commission to hold conference on dairy dispute

The Commerce Commission today confirmed that it will hold a conference to hear submissions on its draft determination relating to the Open Country Cheese Company's dispute with Fonterra Co-operative Group.

The Commission published its draft determination on 29 April on Waharoa-based Open Country's dispute with Fonterra over the cost of the transport component of the default price for raw milk that Open Country purchases from Fonterra.

Fonterra is currently required to supply Open Country with raw milk at the default milk price. Regulation 8(5) of the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk) Regulations 2001 provides that the default milk price is the wholesale milk price for the season plus the 'reasonable cost of transporting the raw milk to the independent processor'.

The conference provides an opportunity for interested parties to present their submissions orally and for the Commission to ask questions based on those submissions.

The conference will commence on 16 August, in the Commission's offices in the Terrace, Wellington.

The Commission says it received a number of submissions from interested parties. All submissions and the draft determination issued by the Commission can be found by accessing the Commission's website.

http://www.comcom.govt.nz